Bi-Polar...Anti-Depressants

not sure what you are saying an anti depressant is a mood stabilizer.

One of my friends daughter is suspected of being bi-polar, but they have not gotten her to go to the doctor for treatment yet (she is 21 and so getting her to the doctor is a bit difficult without her permission). When she gets really upset about something it seems to make the problem much more pronounced than it otherwise would be. In times of great emotion, you never know what she will do, and she cannot control her reactions. Keeping these things in mind, it is possible that mood stabilizers would be a helpful addition to treatment, at least in her case. When her mood is under control and she is not upset, she is as normal as the next person.

The more that is discovered about this terrible illness the better, and although the standard treatments do suit many people, as with all illnesses, there are always some for whom the treatment is not successful. The sooner that it can be categorically proved that this illness is a chemical disorder or even a scar or malformation on the brain the sooner the dreadful stigma which accompanies it may be removed for ever. We don't live in the dark ages any more but people who suffer from this illness probably haven't noticed any difference in tolerance levels since then! I think that treatment for all brain disorders will improve radically as a greater understanding of the mechanics of the brain are understood. My worry is that this knowledge will be used for evil, and to manipulate the brains of the whole population into the thoughts that the Government of the day wish to be prevalent.

+++ for a fine posting once again my dear. Medical studies are constantly changing, and not always for the best. They cannot make up their minds. And they feel that popping a pill, is the instant cure for all these new diagnostics. Bi polar is similar to depression. Except for the outbursts. So, perhaps the stabilizers may work for either, but, in 20 years, I guarentee they will have another opinion on this and change things.

My husband is, but he refuses to take his medicine, so he's almost unbearable to live with. I've tried talking to the doctor, but my husband denies stuff, so I'm stuck living with it. I'm pretty sure that my boss is too, because she has alot of the same symptoms that he did, before he got even worse. Between the two, it's hard, not knowing what mood I'm gonna have to face at home, and work. My life is a roller coaster, and I feel like I'm falling off. I hate it.

I know that this is an old discussion, but I am new to the site! From experience with my son who is bipolar....Generally a bp'er is placed on a mood stabilizer, not an anti-depressant. Yes, there is a difference between the two. An anti-depressant only deals with the "depression" side of bipolar disorder. A mood stabilizer, often a seizure medication, deals with both realms of bipolar disorder. An anti-depressant isn't going to do much for someone that is in a "hypo-manic" state. From the book "The Bipolar Child" it states: "Because it is a known fact that antidepressant treatment can induce hypomania, mania, rapid cycling, and mixed states--often accompanied by severe aggressive or violent behaviors those who have an as-yet-unexpressed predispositon to bipolar disorder--it is extremely important that all parents and physicians be alert to the possibility that the child may indeed be bipolar." Stimulants such as Ritalin can do the same thing. Basically, it depends on the person, but in most cases a person with bipolar disorder is at a risk of severe adverse reactions if given an anti-depressant.